A Hike to Remember
by Capstar98
Summary: Avengers: Endgame SPOILERS, but not movie compliant obviously Months after Tony snaps Thanos out of existence, he takes a vacation to the mountains with his family, hoping to relax. Of course, nothing is ever that simple, and once again he's just desperate to keep the people he loves safe.


A/N: There are SPOILERS in this story! So leave now if you haven't seen the movie!

This is my longest one-shot ever. I'm not exactly sure why I wrote this, but I still love it. I guess it's my Endgame fix-it? Although, it's really just an AU. I'll never stop wanting these folks to be a happy family.

I realize that it's kind of confusing what happened to Tony, but it doesn't really matter here. We're just gonna say he's pretty much fine - physically - at this point. Also, my characterization of Morgan might be a bit off, but I've only seen the movie once, so I don't have such a solid read on her. I just wrote her as a little kid, which she is.

Enjoy!

* * *

"I spy… something green. With feet." Peter looked over at him, waiting for his response.

Tony glanced up and around, looking for anything that might match that description.

He and Peter were sitting on a bench outside of the Rocky Mountain National Park visitor center, waiting for the others to join them. The sun was shining down bright and warm, but a cool wind was curling around them as well. The sky was pure blue - not a cloud in sight.

The trip to Colorado had been an impromptu one, but Tony was grateful for it. After all of the craziness of the past few months, it was good to just be able to relax and enjoy a few days in nature, spending time with his family.

"Uh…" he was still thinking of a response. Then he saw something flicker on a rock. "A lizard?"

"Nope," Peter replied, kicking the dirt with his sneaker.

Tony looked around again, at a loss for what Peter could be seeing. "I don't know, kid. A tree?"

Peter laughed. "No, it's not a tree. Do you give up?"

"I don't _give up. _But I do protest. This game is ridiculous."

"It sounds like you're giving up." When Tony didn't reply, Peter took his silence as answer enough, and continued, "Okay, look down the mountain that way. Do you see it?"

Tony spread his hands in a gesture of confusion. "What am I looking at? I thought you said it wasn't a tree?"

He pointed. "There! That woman with the green shirt! Green, with feet."

"What?" He shot the kid a look. "You know full well I cannot see whatever it is you're pointing at. What did I tell you? Pick things that people without perfect sight could see!"

Peter didn't even have the decency to be sheepish about it. "I mean, it is called '_I _spy,' not '_You _spy.'"

He shook his head. "Ridiculous. Just ridiculous."

Peter leaned back on the bench, tipping his head up towards the sky. "You're the one that picked the game. Don't blame me."

"Hey, don't use logic with me. You know it doesn't work."

Peter looked at him and laughed, his eyes bright and amused, and Tony paused for a moment just to take it in.

It still felt so surreal sometimes. After five years of having an empty space where Peter used to be, it was a marvel to have him back again. And he was just the same - the same curious, clever, amazing kid.

The first few weeks he had hated letting Peter out of his sight, sure that he would be gone again when he wasn't looking. And Peter hadn't admitted it, but it was obvious he didn't want to leave Tony's side either. After all, it hadn't looked too good for a minute there.

After the snap, he was a wreck. No one was sure he would live. He honestly didn't remember much of it except for the pain. But apparently he'd been evaced and revived, and Helen Cho's regenerative cradle, along with the medical technology of Wakanda, had managed to repair his broken body.

Now, months after the fact, he was nearly back to normal. He was sure his arm would never be the same, but at least he had some use from it. Better than nothing at all. And it was a small price to pay to have half the universe back. To have Peter back.

"Gosh, where are they?" Peter said, and Tony was snapped back to the present. He was looking off towards the doors of the visitor's center.

He took a breath a replied, "Maybe there was a line? I'm sure they'll be out in a minute."

Sure enough, a moment later May walked outside, followed by Pepper and Morgan. Tony waved at them and smiled as he watched Morgan make her way over.

"Daddy, look what I got!" she said, waving something in the air for him to see.

"What is it?" he asked diligently.

She shoved it in his face and he took it from her. "It's a patport! To save places!"

May and Pepper looked at each other and chuckled. "A _pass_port, sweetie," Pepper said.

"Oh, I know those," Peter said, taking the thing from Tony to look at. "You get a stamp for each park you go to, and you try to get them all."

Tony pulled Morgan into his lap. "Does this mean we have a few more parks to visit?" he asked wryly.

"I got a stamp!" was Morgan's reply.

May looked around, taking in the view of the mountains. "It is gorgeous here," she said. "Should we get going? Head to the lake?"

Peter stood up. "Do you think we can swim in the lake?"

May shrugged. "Maybe. I guess we'll find out."

"Yeah, let's swim!" Morgan said excitedly, smiling at Peter.

Peter smiled back. "Do you think you can beat me there?" he challenged, and started backing up down the trail.

She jumped off of Tony's lap and ran after him. "I can beat you!"

But Peter blocked her way, his hands grabbing her under her arms and lifting her up. "Whoops! I got you!"

Morgan giggled and squirmed in his grasp. "Put me on your shoulders!" she demanded. Peter acquiesced easily, swinging her up and settling her on his shoulders.

"Gosh, aren't they adorable?" May said, watching them fondly.

Tony smiled softly. "Just a little adorable," he agreed.

Unsurprisingly, Peter and Morgan had taken to each other instantly. Peter had been pretty shocked to find out that there was now a Stark baby around, but Tony supposed it wasn't any more surprising than finding out you've been dead for five years. There was a lot to process, but Peter had accepted Morgan pretty easily, and they had bonded while Tony had been in the hospital. Now, it was hard to separate the two.

Pepper grabbed Tony's hand and gave it a squeeze. As always, Tony felt a flash of gratitude for her, and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Not you, too," May said. "There's too much cuteness going on right now, I can't take it."

They started off down the trail after the kids. "You did not just call me _cute_," Tony laughed.

"I think it's pretty accurate," Pepper replied. "But I might be a little biased."

They walked down the path towards the lake, just chatting and enjoying the weather. Every moment made Tony more glad that they had decided to do this. He couldn't remember feeling this relaxed - certainly not for years, and maybe not even ever. It just felt right.

They turned one last corner and the lake spread out in front of them. It was gorgeous. The water was crystal clear and still, and mountains rose around it in the distance. Flowers were blooming in scattered spots around, and squirrels skittered in the trees.

They spotted Peter and Morgan walking together towards the edge of the water. Peter squatted down and dipped his hand in.

Tony walked up behind them. "What do you think?" he said. "This look like a good place for a swim?"

Peter looked up at him. "The water is so cold," he replied. "But I just might. What do you think, Morgan?"

"I think we gotta swim," she said matter-of-factly.

Peter laughed. "Okay, well that settles it, I guess. We gotta. You gonna join, Mr. Stark?"

Tony sat down on a rock and looked out across the water. "I think I'll let you two try it out first," he replied.

He watched in amusement as the kids readied themselves to swim. They hadn't brought any swim suits or anything, so Peter just took his shirt off and tossed it on a rock. They left their shoes and socks on the water's edge.

Morgan hadn't yet learned how to swim, and Tony definitely wouldn't have let her go in alone. But with Peter there, there was no worry. He knew that the kid would never let anything happen to her. She was just as safe with him as she was with her dad.

Peter took Morgan's hand, and they took a few slow steps into the water.

"Ah!" Morgan cried, "It's cold, it's cold!" She grabbed onto Peter's side.

He lifted her up and placed her on his hip. "Here, just hang out for now," he said. Morgan's hands wrapped around his neck as he continued to walk into the water.

Pepper joined Tony on the rock to watch the scene. Peter had just flicked up a little water on to Morgan's arm, and she was giggling.

Tony turned around for a moment, then looked back at Pepper. "Where's May?" he asked.

Pepper's eyes didn't leave the water. "She's just walking around - she'll be back in a minute."

"She's doing okay, right?" he said. Pepper turned to look at him. "I mean, she doesn't know us as well as Peter does. I feel like if this trip would be weird for anyone, it would be her."

Pepper brought her hand up to rest on his back. "She's good, Tony. And, she has been spending a lot of time with us, lately. I think she feels pretty comfortable around us at this point."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied, then added with a chuckle, "I think Morgan's helped with that, honestly. It's nice of you to check in, though."

Tony sighed and turned back to watching the lake. Peter was holding Morgan out in front of him and dipping her toes in the water. "I just want her on our side, you know?"

"I know," Pepper said. "And I'm sure that has nothing to do with keeping Peter around you as much as possible," she added, eyebrow raising.

Tony didn't deny it. "Is that selfish of me?" he asked.

Her eyes sobered, and she moved her other hand to cup his chin. "No, Tony. It's not selfish. It's sweet."

He smiled, "Thanks."

"Although," she added, lowering her hand, "You know he can't be around forever. He has to start his life up again at some point."

Tony took a breath. "Yeah. I know. Let's just - let's just enjoy the moment, though, yeah?"

"Mommy, look at me!" Morgan's voice had them turning to look. "Watch this! Petey, now!"

Peter's hands were holding her up under her arms. He tossed Tony and Pepper an amused grin before looking back at Morgan. Then he bent at the waist, lowering Morgan down between his legs, hovering her right above the water. A moment later he snapped up, raising her above his head and tossing her up just a little before catching her again.

"Wow," Pepper said, properly enthusiastic. "Amazing!"

Tony laughed, "Nice, Peter."

"Put me down, put me down!" Morgan said, and Peter walked back to the edge of the water before doing as she asked. Then she ran up to Pepper and grabbed her pant leg. "Mommy," she said quietly, "I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Morgan, we just went," Pepper replied with a sigh. "Are you sure you have to go again? We'll have to walk all the way back down the trail."

She nodded. "Yeah."

Tony gestured towards the lake. "I mean, she could just go in there. Aren't lakes nature's toilet?"

Pepper shot him a look. "Gross."

Peter shrugged. "I mean, the fish are doing it."

"No. I'll just take her back to the visitor center, it's not far."

"Okay, okay," Tony replied, fixing his sunglasses on his face. "We'll just wait here."

Pepper stood and took Morgan's hand before walking off in the direction of the trail. "Be back in a bit," she called back as they disappeared around a bend.

Peter was still standing in the water - now walking deeper in until the water was brushing the cuffs of his shorts.

"God, this water is cold," Peter told him.

Tony chuckled. "Then why the heck are you still in there?"

"Come on," Peter said, shooting him a look, "I can't not dunk my head."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course not."

May came up behind him then. "Oh my," she said, laughing. "How's the water, Peter?"

"Freezing!"

"Where did the other girls get to?" she asked, walking up to stand next to Tony.

He looked up at her. "Morgan needed the bathroom again, so they went back to the visitor's center."

She nodded. "I found a cool trail that way," she added, pointing off to the right. "I think we should check it out when they come back."

"Yeah, sure," he replied easily.

There was a big splash, and Tony turned to see Peter burst up out of the water, grimacing and shivering. He headed straight back for the shore.

"Ah, that was freaking cold!" Peter said, teeth chattering. He ran to the edge of the lake and stepped out, shaking his limbs of the water.

"Totally worth it, I'm sure," Tony said.

Peter was wringing out his shorts. "Well, now I can say I did it!"

Tony chuckled. "You could always lie. I'd back you up."

"Come on, that's lame."

"I agree," May said with a smile, "Very lame."

"Okay, okay! Majority rules, I get it."

Peter stretched out on a rock to let the sun dry his skin. His hair was drying too, back into its natural curls. "This place is great. The air here is like, HD. And the stars! Wow."

"The stars _are _'wow.' That's the technical term, I think."

Peter scrunched his nose up at him. "Shut up."

"Thank you again," May said. "For taking us out here. It's nice to have a break from… everything."

Tony noticed Peter's face sobered at that. But he only replied, "No problem. It's been nice for us, too."

"I hope we haven't been any trouble."

He shook his head quickly. "No trouble. Don't worry, you could never be trouble."

She smiled at him, then looked over at Peter. "Should we walk around the lake while we wait? It's small - I'm sure we could make it around before they come back."

Peter sat up, grabbing his t-shirt as he did. "Sure!" He pulled the orange shirt over his head.

"Geez, that shirt must be radioactive, it's so bright," Tony said, shading his eyes in jest.

"All part of my plot to blind you," Peter replied, and pulled on his socks and shoes. "You coming?"

Tony shook his head. "I'll wait here, just in case they come back quickly."

Peter looked like he was going to say something, but then just nodded, and ran to join May on the main trail.

Tony watched him go, something twinging in his chest. As nice and as perfect as it was to have Peter back, he couldn't help but feel like things were different. Obviously that made sense, considering everything that had happened. But occasionally - like that moment just now - it felt like something besides the normal dysfunction was going on. Like Peter had something on his mind that he wasn't sharing.

He sighed and leaned back on his rock, looking across the lake and up at the mountains. In the past he had never considered himself a guy to go for the secluded spot. When he was young, he was sure he would live in bustling and exciting places his whole life. Of course, that opinion changed when the world did - at first, because it was too painful to live around other people. Too painful to be constantly reminded of what the world used to be, and what it wasn't now. But he had come to love their spot next to the lake, the house they had built together. It was their home - maybe the first real home he had ever had.

Time seemed to pause as he considered the wind in the trees, the birds chirping in the branches. The wind brushed his cheek, and the sun warmed his skin. Time didn't exist in nature, and it was nice to just _be _for a moment - to exist, just like the water and the rocks and the trees did.

God, he was really getting sappy in his old age.

He heard sounds behind him, and Morgan and Pepper walked towards him, Peter and May close behind.

"Oh, perfect timing," he said. "I was just about to question my existence."

"May told us there's a cool trail that way," Pepper said. "Let's go for a walk."

Tony stood, wiping off his pants. "Sounds good."

"I'm walking with Petey!" Morgan said loudly, and grabbed Peter's hand.

Peter smiled. "Yes, ma'am." They walked together in front of the pack, and the three adults trailed behind, watching them.

They twisted and turned until May pointed out the trail she meant, and they took it. It went up for a bit, and then suddenly the tree cover broke open, and the vista was exposed. Snow capped peaks stood in the distance, a few lakes peppered between.

"Wow," Tony said, taking in the view.

The trail wrapped around the edge of the mountain, the cliff continuing down on their left.

"Be careful!" Pepper called out. "Peter, don't let her near the edge!"

"I got it!" Peter called back, switching sides with Morgan so that she was on the uphill.

"He is good with her," Pepper said, turning to Tony and May.

Tony snorted. "Probably because he's still a four year old at heart," he said.

May just smiled. "He's always been good with kids. He used to babysit a lot - before Spider-Man, anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah. All the kids in our building knew him that way, from being babysat one time or another."

"Well, good to know we can officially call him to babysit now," Pepper said wryly.

"Maybe we could get him to watch her tonight," Tony suggested, eyebrows raised. "We could have an adults night? Go somewhere where they don't have a kid's meal?"

Pepper shrugged. "That's not a bad idea. What do you think, May?"

May looked between them. "You two don't want to go out alone? I wouldn't mind."

"No, we're sick of each other," Pepper said, rolling her eyes. "You're making things fun again."

May smiled. "Okay, sure. Sounds like a plan."

Tony had stopped paying attention, eyes narrowing as he looked ahead.

He frowned as he noticed that Peter and Morgan had stopped ahead of them, and saw Peter's head snap to look down at the ground.

Then Peter looked up, his wide eyes looking towards them, and Tony knew that something was very wrong.

Tony started walking faster, desperate to catch up with them, to stop whatever was about to happen. Distantly he heard Pepper call his name behind him.

But all saw was that Peter had his hand up towards him, warning him to stop. And then three things happened one after the other, faster than he could blink.

Peter's warning yell, the sound of something cracking below them, and Morgan's cry of fear.

Then the world fell apart.

Tony couldn't hear anything over the sounds of breaking and sliding rock, couldn't see anything through the dust that rose around him. The ground was trembling and shaking.

"Morgan," Tony said, his mind frozen in disbelief. Then his chest exploded with fear. "Morgan!"

He saw Pepper try to rush past him, and grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. She pulled against him, desperate to move and find their daughter.

Then a small figure broke through the wall of dust, and they both let out a sob of relief.

Morgan rushed forwards, and Tony and Pepper wrapped her in their arms, trying to soothe her as she cried.

"You're okay," Tony said gently, his voice shaking a little. He pressed his hand through Morgan's hair, his body still spinning with relief.

"Oh, my God," Pepper was saying. "Oh, my God - what just happened?"

Tony spoke over her, desperate to keep his girls calm. "It's okay. We're okay." But it only took one word for the fear to return in full force.

"Peter?" May called out hesitantly, her voice shaking. "Peter, where are you?"

Tony's head snapped up and he looked again down the trail. The dust was settling, and he could see that a section of rock and earth had broken off and crumbled down the mountain side. But beyond the rock, there was nothing there.

Peter was gone.

Tony felt his heart stutter in his chest, and he stood up, only seeing Morgan reach out for him out the corner of his eye.

He stumbled forwards in disbelief, his eyes locked on the spot where Peter used to be. May came up next to him, and he heard her breaths coming fast.

Peter was gone. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not here. Not now.

Suddenly, he was on Titan again, and the dust was Peter, he was disappearing, he was -

"Tony, stop!" Pepper yelled. "Stop!"

He paused, turned to look back, and saw her frightened face.

"The ground," she said quickly. "You can't - It might - it's not stable, come back here!"

His gaze turned back to the broken trail. He knew that she was right, but, but -

"Peter!" May screamed, and Tony had to grab her shoulders to keep her from rushing forwards. "Peter!"

He pushed her behind him, and they backed up to where Pepper and Morgan were. His eyes were darting around, trying to figure out what had happened. Where had he gone? Surely, surely he wasn't -

"Tony," Pepper's voice grounded him once again. "Tony, you need to focus. We have to get Morgan away from here."

"But," his voice came out softer than he meant it to, "But Peter."

Morgan heard the name. "Where's Petey?" she cried, snot dripping down her face.

Pepper was smoothing her hair back. "Hush, sweetie. Shh."

"He pushed me! Petey pushed me - where is he?"

Suddenly, Tony understood what had happened. Peter must have felt that something was happening - his sixth sense never failed - but he had used the time it gave him to save Morgan. Had pushed her out of the way, and let himself fall.

But maybe - the kid had survived worse. He could have saved himself. He could have stuck to the side. He could be down there - he needed help!

Tony didn't move towards where the ground had shifted, but instead to the left towards the cliff side, and looked over.

"Oh, Jesus," he whispered as he took in the sight.

There was a scar down the cliff face from where the rocks had slid down. And at the bottom he could see them in a pile. Dust still floated in their wake.

But Peter was nowhere to be seen.

He tapped the side of his sunglasses, and the picture zoomed. He looked at the pile at the bottom of the cliff, simultaneously desperate to see something and terrified of what he would find.

For a moment, nothing. And then - there. A color that didn't belong on a mountain. Orange. The same neon orange of Peter's t-shirt.

Tony's voice was automatic as he said, "Pepper. Get May and Morgan out of here. Now. Go back to the visitor center. Get help."

He could hear Pepper react to his words - she stood, holding Morgan in her arms, the little girl still crying.

"Tony?" It was May. "What - What are you looking at?"

He didn't answer, and only "Now, Pepper. Go!"

"What are you looking at? Peter!"

"May, come with me. Please." Pepper's voice was gentle and pleading. "The best thing we can do right now is get help. Please, come with me." Tony could hear them move down the trail, and Pepper called out, "Tony, be careful!"

Only once they were gone he said, "FRIDAY, talk to me. Is he - Is he alive?" His eyes were still locked on the sliver of orange he could see.

"_I can't get a reading from this distance. You'll need to get closer."_

"How?" he looked around, but couldn't see a clear way down. Luckily, his AI was smarter than he was, and after a moment a path appeared in his sights. It looked steep, but doable, and he didn't waste a moment before starting down. His heart was beating wildly, but he wasn't confused, or out of it. He understood now exactly what had happened, and just how serious it was. There was a good chance that he would get down to the bottom and find Peter… find him…

He shook his head roughly and kept moving, scrambling down the steep path that would get him to that bit of orange.

It felt like it took forever, and also like it took no time at all. At one point he slipped, his butt landing on the dirt and his hand skidding across the stone, leaving his palm torn, but not quite bleeding.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the cliff, and as he took one step closer he could see the orange shirt. And there - curly brown hair. And red. There was red.

Tony froze, his breaths coming faster and faster as he took it in. He bent over, his face in his hands, and let out a sound that could have been a sob.

He forced himself to come back, to focus, and walked closer. But he couldn't - "FRI?"

There was a pause, during which Tony's heart refused to beat. Then: "_I'm detecting a heartbeat, boss! He's alive!"_

A wave of relief hit him like a truck, and he stumbled forwards, turning around the edge of the rock and collapsing on his knees at Peter's side.

"Oh, Peter," he said helplessly. What he saw didn't look good.

It looked like Peter had moved away from the cliff side as he fell, which was probably why he couldn't latch on. Thankfully, he hadn't been crushed by any of the falling rocks, but instead he was splayed out awkwardly, his legs out in front of him and his torso over a rock. His head was tilted back slightly, and there was blood just pouring from his forehead.

Tony forced himself to focus yet again, and tried to run through the first aid training that he knew. Being a parent certainly inspired you to be prepared, and he had taken a few classes to learn what he could.

His hands hovered over Peter, unsure of what to do. "Okay," he muttered. "First, pulse." He brought his hand quickly to Peter's throat and pushed in to find his pulse point. It was going fast as hell, but it was there, and that's what mattered. Then he listened for breathing, and while it was wheezy, it was there, too. Another spike of relief coursed through him.

His hand moved to cup Peter's cheek. "Pete, can you hear me? Peter?"

Peter's eyelids fluttered, but didn't open.

"Peter! I'm right here, okay? You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine." He wasn't sure if he was more reassuring Peter, or himself.

He scanned the rest of Peter's body, looking for other hurts. Thankfully, he didn't see anything overtly serious, but his right leg was swelling, and it looked like it might be broken. Tony supposed what he should most be worried about is a broken back. He wanted to move Peter from his awkward position on the rock, but figured it might be a bad idea for that reason.

The cut on Peter's forehead was still bleeding heavily, and Tony wasn't sure how to deal with it. He managed to tear off a piece of his shirt to use as a bandage.

When he pressed the piece of fabric to the wound, Peter sucked in a sharp breath, and his eyes blinked open.

"Peter?" Tony said desperately. "Pete, it's me."

Peter let out a groan, and his eyes tracked over to Tony's face slowly. They looked clouded and unfocused. His lips moved, but no sound came from them.

"It's okay, Peter. I got you. Stay with me, okay, buddy? Let's keep those eyes open."

Some sounds came from him that could have been words, but didn't sound like anything. And then Tony's heart lurched as Peter tried to move with a groan of pain.

"No, no, no! Don't move!" he said quickly, pressing down on Peter's shoulder. He realized his voice sounded panicky, and added a bit more calmly, "Don't move, okay? Just… stay put."

Peter settled down, but his breaths were faster now. He must have been feeling the pain. Sure enough, a tear slipped out of the corner of his eye and tracked down the side of his face.

Tony's heart raced with fear, and he looked around and up the cliff. "God damnit, where are they?"

"Ms'r S'ark," Peter slurred.

He leaned forwards quickly into Peter's line of sight. "Right here, kid. It's gonna be okay."

"M… Morg'n."

"Oh, God, Peter," Tony said. Of course he would only care if Morgan got out safe. "Morgan's fine. I promise. She's okay. You got her away."

Another tear fell down Peter's cheek, and he closed his eyes in relief.

"Hey - Hey, keep your eyes on me. Peter, open your eyes!"

But it seemed like Peter had passed out again. Tony figured he should be grateful - no one should feel the kind of pain that Peter must be feeling - but seeing his eyes close was terrifying.

He realized then that the piece of shirt he'd placed over the cut on Peter's forehead was soaked through with blood. He wondered if it was better to leave it, or to take it off, and decided to just leave it be. This way he could keep pressure a little better, even if blood slipped through his fingers.

The wait for help to arrive was agonizing, and every second passed like a lifetime. He was Iron Man, for god's sake! Or at least, he used to be… He should be able to do more than just wait!

Finally, he heard sounds from up above him, and a few heads peaked out from over the cliff top.

"Down here!" he called, waving his arm frantically. "Right here! Help!"

Four men came down the mountainside, picking out the same trail that Tony had made his way down earlier. One of them had a backboard under their arm, and another was wearing a backpack that he hoped was full of medical supplies.

It took decidedly too long for them to make it down, but eventually they did, and Tony was moved to the side so that they could work. He couldn't see much, but he did notice when Peter cried out in pain as he was being moved onto the backboard.

"Peter!" Tony said desperately. "I'm right here, it's okay!" Even though it wasn't okay. Not by a long shot.

"You need to go up ahead," one of the responders said to him. "We can't leave you here."

He took a shaky breath. "Okay. Yeah, okay. I'm going."

The way up the mountainside was decidedly harder than going down it, and it only took a moment for Tony's legs and lungs to burn. Somehow, the four men carried Peter between them on the backboard and made their way up the trail behind him.

Every once in a while, Peter would let out a sound of pain, and Tony's heart would twist in fear and sympathy. But the kid seemed to be out of it for the most part, which was probably for the best.

After making it up to the main trail, Tony shot one last glance at the spot where the cliff had collapsed. Then he turned away. As they headed back towards the visitor center, he checked behind him every minute or so to make sure that Peter was still behind him.

They passed the lake, where Peter had been playing just a short while ago, and eventually the wooden structure of the visitor center appeared before them through the trees.

Tony heard several voices cry out, and suddenly he was hit with a small bundle of Morgan. He collapsed onto his knees and pulled her tight to his chest, tucking her face into his neck.

"Oh, my God," he heard May say. "Peter!"

Pepper knelt down next to him, and he turned to bring her close as well. "He's… he's alive?" she asked softly.

He nodded numbly, and squeezed the two of them tighter still.

"Peter!" May was obviously a second or two from completely freaking out. Tony stood slowly, hitching Morgan up onto his hip before walking over to where May was trying to get at Peter.

Tony put a hand on her arm, and she turned to him, her eyes wild. "He's alive," he said as calmly as he could. "He's alive."

May just looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Where… what's going to happen to him?"

This time, one of the responders, a guy with short blonde hair, answered. "We'll drive him to the hospital now. But - are you his mother?"

May nodded and said, "His aunt."

"Oh, well - if you can, we need some information. Allergies, medical conditions, that sort of thing."

"I can give you that," she replied, her voice growing stronger. "Can I ride with you to the hospital?"

"Of course. We'll be ready in just a couple minutes - you can stay with him now." He gestured towards the visitor center, where Peter was being lowered onto a bench, still strapped to the backboard. One of the paramedics was wrapping a foam brace around his neck.

May raced towards him, and Tony wasn't far behind. Before he went, though, he passed Morgan back to Pepper. "Don't let her see him," he said. "Not like this."

Pepper nodded, and tucked Morgan's face into her neck. "I'll get the car ready, so we can follow," she said.

God, she had always been stable in a crisis. She was his rock. "I love you," he blurted to her.

"I love you, too," she replied instantly. "See you back at the car."

He didn't wait another moment before turning and rushing to Peter's side.

May was already there, her hand on his cheek, muttering calming words. A real bandage was on his forehead now, covering the wound. It looked like he was awake, but still not totally aware.

Tony knelt down on his other side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Pete," he said.

Peter's eyes turned to him, his head kept stable by the brace. "Hey," he breathed.

"You've really done a number to yourself this time, haven't you?"

The kid blinked slowly. "I fell."

Tony gave him a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, buddy. I know. Just about gave me a heart attack doing it."

"Morgan," Peter said softly.

"Yeah. I know, Pete. I know."

Peter's brow furrowed, and he tried to shake his head. May shushed him and held him still, but he ignored her. "Morgan," he was saying, a little stronger this time. "Have to… save Morgan."

Tony understood then, and moved quickly to calm him. "Hey," he said firmly, brushing a few fingers through blood soaked hair. "Morgan is safe. You saved her, Peter. She's okay."

Peter looked into his eyes, soaking in his words.

"You can relax. Just… stay calm. Please."

The 'please' seemed to do it, or he had registered that Morgan was safe, because Peter lowered his head down all the way and relaxed the muscles in his shoulders.

The paramedic from earlier walked up to them. "We're ready to load him up, now. You'll have to step back for a minute."

Tony and May did as he asked, and as they did Tony grabbed her hand. She looked up at him. "I'll meet you at the hospital, okay?" he said. "Pepper and I are gonna follow in the car."

May nodded. "Okay. That's good."

"He's gonna be okay," he added.

"Yeah," she replied with a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I'll see you when we get to the hospital."

Tony caught her eye and nodded one last time before releasing her hand. They watched as Peter was loaded into the van. May climbed in with them, and Tony rushed off to find Pepper at their car.

Morgan was already strapped in her car seat in the back, and Pepper was standing by the driver's side, leaned up against the car. She stood up straight when she spotted him. "Are they going?" she asked.

Tony nodded. "Let's go," he said, and slid into the passenger seat. Pepper got in beside him and started the car.

"Daddy," he heard Morgan say.

He turned to see his little girl's wide eyes and confused face. There were still tear tracks on her cheeks. "Hey," he said, reaching behind to grab her hand. "I'm here." She gripped his fingers tight.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly. "Where are we going?"

Tony took a breath. "Well… You see that van?" he pointed out the window, and she nodded. "Peter's in there, with May. He's hurt, and we're taking him to the hospital."

Morgan nodded seriously. "He fell," she said.

Tony bit his lip, and nodded back. "Yeah. That's right." He squeezed her hand.

"Is he okay?"

"Uh, well," he shot a glance at Pepper, but her eyes were on the road. "He's gonna be okay," he said finally.

Morgan yawned then, her eyes blinking slowly. Tony wasn't surprised. She had already done a lot today, and the excitement of the last hour had surely worn her out even more. The quiet of the car was more than enough to send her to sleep. He gave her knee a pat and turned back towards the windshield.

They were twisting through the mountain roads, following the van as it went along.

They were quiet, and Tony looked back at one point to see that Morgan had fully fallen asleep.

Pepper was looking over at him every once in a while, and eventually she turned and asked him, "Are you okay?"

Somehow, the one question brought all of his feelings back to the surface. For a moment, he could only shake his head. His throat was tight. Then he said thickly, "We can never get a break. There's - there's always something. You think you're safe, and then -" he turned sharply to look out the window.

"Hey," Pepper said softly. "Tony, look at me."

He hesitated, but eventually did as she asked. Her gaze was steady and strong.

"Peter's going to be okay," she told him. "You know how he is. He'll be back to normal in no time."

Tony shook his head. "I know. But I… I hate it. We came out here to escape from it all. But it always follows us." He swallowed roughly. "We're just magnets for - for pain."

Pepper's hand reached over and rested on his knee. "They say life gives you only what you can take," she said softly.

Tony couldn't help but bristle at that. "No," he said strongly, though his voice remained quiet, mindful of the kid in the backseat. "That's bullshit. Haven't we taken enough already? And Peter… Peter's been through so much. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve any of this."

Pepper kept calm, her eyes flicking between him and the road. "It's not about what we _deserve_," she told him. "Life is full of chances. And yeah, we've landed on more than our fair share of bad spaces," she conceded, "but don't forget what we have. You can't forget the good." She looked back at Morgan in the rearview mirror, then over at Tony again. "Peter saved our daughter. To think about what could have happened…" she shook her head. "And he's going to be fine. I promise."

Tony took a deep breath and took her hand in his. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I understand."

They rode in silence the rest of the way, hands clasped tight.

When they pulled up at the hospital, Morgan was still asleep. "You go inside," Pepper said. "I'll stay here with Morgan until she wakes up, okay?"

Tony nodded, and leaned forwards to give her a kiss. "Thank you. I'll text you updates," he told her.

He wandered inside, and when he couldn't find May anywhere, went to the front desk. They directed him to a room in the corner, and he as he reached it he pushed the door open. There were a few beds, each separated by a curtain. He saw May standing in the back, and walked towards her.

She was standing at the foot of the bed, her hand on Peter's foot, but looked up when she heard his footsteps. She gave him a brief smile.

"Hey," he said softly. "How is he?" He looked down at the bed. Peter was asleep, his arms at his sides. An IV was connected to the back of his hand, and a fresh bandage was on his forehead. His right leg was wrapped in an orange cast.

May sighed. "It looks like he's gonna be okay," she said. "He has a concussion. And they still have to put stitches on his forehead. But…" she chuckled. "They keep saying how they're surprised he's as alright as he is. It's probably his powers working."

"His… his back?" Tony asked hesitantly. "It's not broken?"

"It's badly bruised," she replied. "But not broken, apparently."

"Good," he said, thoroughly relieved. "Has he been awake?"

"His leg was broken pretty badly. They had to knock him out to set it. But he should be up soon."

Tony walked up to the side of the bed and ran his hand through Peter's hair. There was still blood in it. "Well, this wasn't how I wanted this vacation to go," he said, looking up at May again.

"No kidding." She smiled tiredly. "Can you watch him for a minute? While I go to the bathroom?" He nodded, and she turned and walked out of the room.

As he ran his hand through Peter's hair again, the kid's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned.

"Hey, Peter," he said softly, studying his face. "You with me, bud?"

Peter's eyes cleared a little with every blink. "Where…" he cleared his throat and tried again. "Where are we?"

"In the hospital," Tony replied quickly. "Do you remember what happened?"

Peter frowned, thinking. Then, his eyes widened. "I… the trail. I fell. I -" his gaze snapped to Tony. "Morgan," he said, anxious.

"She's good, Pete," Tony said quickly. "She's just taking a nap now. We can bring her in to see you soon."

Peter nodded, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Thank God," he said softly, his gaze settling down towards the sheets.

"Thank _you_," Tony said sincerely, and Peter looked up at him. "For saving her," he added, when Peter looked confused.

"Of course," Peter replied. "I had to get her safe. She's a kid. She's your kid."

He studied the kid's face for a moment, and suddenly he realized something. Finally, those moments with Peter lately made sense. He grabbed the kid's hand and held it tight. "Peter," he said slowly, "You've been so good with Morgan. She really loves you."

Peter nodded, smiling. "She's a great kid. I'm glad she's okay."

"Yeah, I know," Tony smiled back. "And you know, you're a great kid, too. I think she loves having you as an older brother."

Peter blinked at that. "I… thanks, Mr. Stark."

"I know it was weird," he continued, "to find out about her. To find out about everything."

The kid nodded, though his gaze was hesitant, and still confused.

"But I need you to know something. And it's important."

Peter frowned. "Yeah?"

"Morgan is my daughter. She's everything to me. But," he added quickly, "So are you."

Peter just looked at him, taking in his words.

Tony squeezed his hand harder. "Peter, you might not be my son. But you're my family, and I love you. Do you understand?"

His eyes were wide as he nodded.

"Good," Tony said. "So next time - even though they're won't be a next time, if I can help it - save yourself, too, okay? For my sake."

"I'm sorry," Peter said quietly.

"No, no," he said quickly. "It's not your fault. But, you know, you scared the hell out of me. You're taking the suit with you to our next vacation, okay?"

Peter gave him a small smile, and nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Glad we're in agreement on that one."

Peter looked down at his blanket, and up again. "I love you, too," he said softly. "You know that, right?"

Tony chuckled, and ruffled Peter's hair, his chest swelling up with affection. "Yeah, I know."

And as he soaked in Peter's smile, somehow Tony was still glad that they had taken this vacation.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it! Let me know your thoughts in comments, and I hope you have a good day!


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